Message Entry Configuration

Message Entry Configuration

This mode enables the entry to receive a message sent from another object (when an “Original Item” enters a Message Dispatcher or passes through a Change Object).

Upon receiving this message, the entry produces a “Message Item”, which is a ‘clone’ of the Original Item and sends it on.

When the Message Item is destroyed later on in an Exit, the Original Item is informed, and will move on from the object it was waiting in.

The concept of Message Items is an extremely powerful feature.

Message Entries are a key part of this capability and they are very easy to specify.

There are only two things to decide when setting up a Message Entry.

Message Entry Name

The name for a message entry is important, as its name is what identifies it for a Directed Message dispatcher.

These objects can send messages to Portals and specify that the message go to a Message Entry with a specific name, rather than their own name.

If you want all messages sent to a Subsystem to go to a single Message Entry, you can supply the default name, which is “_!message”, .

Message Item Class Paths to include

A Message Entry needs to be able to produce items of those classes by which messages are sent to it.

This may require the laying of more than one item class’ path from the Message Entry.

You need to assure yourself that you have added all necessary paths.

If a Message Item arrives at the Message Entry and there is no path to take the item away, then the Message Entry will block and further Message Item arrivals will cause an error in the model run.

Message Items produced from a message entry will also have Info Panels if the original item had one. If the original item has a hidden Info Panel, the message item's will also be hidden but it can be brought to view by setting the "ItemShowInfoPanel" item-system attribute in a Routine.